Method of making yarn pictures



E. DE FRANK FAslNo 2,798,328

METHOD OF MAKING YARN PICTURES Filed Aug. 1o, 1953 STREES IN VEN TOR. y EDN/I' DEFRA/Vl( TAS/N0 AT T 0RNE Y Julyl 9, 1957 United States Patent() i METHOD OF MAKING YARN PICTURES Y Edna de Frank Fasino, Rochester, N. Y.

Application August 10, 1953, Serial No. 373,108

1 Claim. (Cl. 41-34) My invention relates to yarn pictures and a method of making such yarn pictures. Y c An object of my invention is to provide a method of making yarn pictures to enable persons not gifted with artistic ability to produce a pleasing :and artistic yarn picture by following simple procedural instructions.

A further object of my invention'is to provide a procedure whereby a kit may be sold containing a pencil sketch on textile material, yarn in various colors, a picture frame, a planar mounting form, together with certain appurtenances and instructions for stitching and mounting the finished picture, whereby persons of limited artistic ability may by following the procedure outlined make a pleasing artistic picture. v

Still another object of my invention is to provide a yarn picture of pleasing artistic appearance mounted in a frame.

More speciically my invention contemplates a method of making a yarn picture wherein an artist iirst paints a picture in accordance with a desired finished yarn picture, divides a textile material into sections of varying areas and shapes in accordance with the painting, together with indications of the color and the direction in which the yarn stitches are to run, thereby enabling the user, by following simple instructions, to stretch the textile material over an open frame to perform the stitching operations, the user thereafter stretching the linished picture over a planar form and then mounting the picture in a frame in such manner that the yarn stitches are pressed down and a pleasing artistic effect is produced in the iinished picture.

Other objects and advantages of my yinvention will be particularly set forth in the claim and will be apparent from the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a view showing a rectangular sheet of textile material with a picture sketched thereon which, in addition to showing the outline of trees, a house and other objects thereon, is divided into sections of varying areas and shapes, each area being indicated by a numeral or other designation for the purpose of enabling the user to apply the proper color yarn to the area designated, the sketch also indicating by light lines the direction in which the yarn stitches are to be made;

Fig. 2 is a view showing an open frame upon which the textile material is mounted for the purpose of making the yarn picture;

Fig. 3 is a rear View of the finished picture mounted in a picture frame showing how the textile material is stretched taut across a planar form;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3 in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is a view showing the iinished yarn picture mounted in a frame.

While the yarn picture of my invention may be employed by people generally who desire to make yarn pictures, it has been particularly developed to enable the making of pleasing artistic yarn pictures by shut-ins,

2,798,328 Patented July 9, 1957 ICC persons in hospitals or other institutions such as recuperating servicemen and children in an eifort to foster the development of artistic ability and manual dexterity.

In making the yarn picture of my invention, an artist iirst makes a painting in water colors or oil on a suitable background material of suitable subject matter such as the scene shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings in accordance with the conception of the artist of the actual scene.

The next step in the method is to sketch on a muslin sheet A of suitable size including a border a preferably pencil outline drawing of the picture previously produced by the artist. The vpicture on the textile material thus produced is divided into sections of varying areas and shapes as indicatedat B. These various sections are separated from each other by heavy lines C. These sections are laid. out in accordance with the colors employed by the artist in producing the original water color or oil painting. Each section is designated by a numeral. p While as previously stated the iirst step in the method is the production of an oil painting or water color by an artist, it would conceivably be possible for someone to be able to visualize a iinished yarn picture, divide the textile material intoesections of the proper shapes and areas asshown in Fig. l, and designate the proper yarn colors to produce a pleasing picture without first producing an oil painting or water color.

The next step in the method is to indicate in Aany suitable Vmanner as by the light lines D in each section the direction in which the yarn stitching is to be made in the particular section designated. If desired, as will presently appear, highlight indications may be placed on the drawing produced on the textile material as will be presently described.

The next step in the method of making a yarn picture is to apply the textile material of Fig. l, with the sketch and the designations above described thereon, to an open framel indicated by the letter E. 'Ihe frame E may be the back of the picture frame in which the yarn picture is ultimately mounted. VThe textile material of Fig. 1 is stretched taut in both directions and applied to the frame by thumb tacks F.

For the purpose of sale, a kit is supplied to the customer, such kit including the sketch complete as shown in Fig. l applied to a textile material, a picture frame E, thumb tacks'F, amounting sheet G, a transparent sheet of glass H,'yarn or suitable cord material I (Fig. 3) and a number of skeins of yarn of dilerent color. In the particu lar illustration shown, fifteen different colors are used and fifteen different colored skeins of yarn are supplied with the kit. Each skein of yarn may be mounted on a small cardboard form to which a number is applied which is keyed to the numbers applied to the sketch of Fig. l.

In starting the picture the yarn skein marked No. 1 is first threaded on the needle, the end thereof knotted and the needle inserted through the back of the picture and the yarn pulled through to the knot. The yarn is then drawn across the textile material in the direction of the light lines D and the needle inserted through the sketch side of the textile material and drawn through taut. The second stitch is started directly under the first and as close to the point where the iirst stitch ended as possible. The yarn is then drawn over the sketch side of the textile material and the textile material is pierced by the needle as close to the beginning of the first stitch as possible. This procedure is continued until the entire area marked 1 is filled. When the end of a section is reached a yarn loop is formed on the back side of the material and the needle drawn through it to lock the end of the yarn. The excess yarn is then cut oii.

The area marked 1 is blue and constitutes the sky. It will be understood that the stitches in the section marked 1 can only extend to the trees, that is, to the line marked 3 J. It is necessary to work the number 1 yarn in and around the branches of the trees and similarly the yarns marked 2 and 3 must be Worked in and around the branches and .trunk -of the tree. After all sections marked .1 have been completed, sections 2, 8, etc. are iilled in until the -entirefpicture is completed. At 'the margin between adjacent sections theyarn must be filled infas close as possible to thelines so 'that little' or no space exists between adjacent sections through which lthe textile material-may be visible. Moreover, care must be .taken in maintaining the Vlines of stitching straight so that the lines separating ladjacent sections will be clearly defined.

.Provision may be made by suitable indications on the textile .material as shown in Fig. 1 Yfor incorporating in the picture .highlights These indications have not been shoWninAFigfl `butit will be appreciated that they could be supplied. Y,It is preferable in the production of the yarn picture that the customer, after the picture has been completed, examine it and exercise his own artistic talent and ,place highlights where required in the yarn picture.

YAfter the yarn picture has been completed, the thumb tacks F are removed and the picture placed over a sheet G. This sheet G may be of cardboard or any suitable material and merely comprises a planar sheet of relatively stili material adapted to form a backing for the picture. The completed yarn picture is centered on the planar sheet G and the side edges or margins of the textile material K wrapped around the margins of the planar sheet as shown in Fig. 3. Yarn or other string material is then employed to stitch -the material as shown in Fig. 3.

In stitching the material across the back of the planar sheet, each stitch must be drawn as tight as possible. The reason for this is that when the yarn picture is completed and removed from the frame E (Fig. 2) it is relatively limp and rumpled. The lines of demarcation between the dilerent sections are therefore not clearly dened. Moreover, it is impossible to drawl each yarn stitch on the textile material with the same degree of tautness. Consequently when removed from the frame E upon which the yarn picture has been made, a picture of not too pleasing appearance is presented. However, when the stitches I are drawn across the back in both the longitudinal and transverse directions in a taut manner, the lines of separation between different sections of the yarn picture vbecome clearly defined. i

After the .yarn picture has been mounted on its backing sheet G, it is placed against the glass H and brads L are extended through the frame and into the cardboard in such manner that a pressure is exerted on the cardboard mounting form G to compress the yarn picture between the mounting sheet G and the glass H. The pressure exerted between the planar mounting G and the glass H brings all the threads of the yarn picture into a plane and brings out the picture in clear outline with clearly defined lines between adjacent sections and all the threads of the yarn in a plane and causes the somewhat flattened yarn to cover up substantially -any portion of the picture through which the textile material may be visible.

It will now be appreciated that I have developed a method of making a yarn picture and a yarn picture the component parts of which may be supplied in kits and Y may be employed to produce pleasing pictures by persons of limited artistic ability. Moreover, -the yarn pictures are very useful in teaching children how to produce artistic effects.

While I have shown and described the preferred method of my invention and the yarn picture produced thereby, it will be apparent that various Vchanges and modifications may be made therein, particularly in the form `and relation of parts, without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim.

A method of making a yarn picture which comprises reproducing'the desired picture in outline form on a-piece of textile material which is larger in area than the picture so that a border exists on all sides around the picture, dividing `the area into sections'of varying sizes and shapes to define an artistic picture, indicating each section for the reception of a `particular color of yarn, indicating in each section the direction in which the stitches are to be made and their length, stretching the material over an open frame to enable stitching, stitching the yarn through the textile piece in accordance with the indications thereon, stretching the piece 'of textile material over a planar form so that the borders ofthe piece underlie the picture, connecting the borders of the several sides by stitching' to stretch the picture taut over the frame in all directions and flattening the yarn of the picture between said planar form and a transparent plate of glass.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 560,964 Barnard May 26, 1896 1,530,088 Nathan Mar. 17, 11925 1,536,471 Bosshardt May 5, 1925 1,941,518 Twichell Jan. 2, 1934 1,951,246 Kirkpatrick Mar. 13, 1,934 1,957,816 Braeg May 8, 1934 2,080,652 Cook May 18, 1937 

